~~ Our Crazy life blog ~~ a homeschooling and working nurse(RN) mommy of 3 just trying to survive in a Blockhouse(circus) with a bunch of...chips off the old block(blessings). I like to share positive -Mom it On- thoughts and ideas to help your day be a little brighter. ~Homeschooling tips and ideas; ~crafting ~recipes ~frugal living ~green living ~giveaways~ product reviews ~couponing and more. email leslieblockrn@gmail.com if you wish to provide guest posts or work with me as an affiliate brand. Please Note: Posts on this site may contain sponsor, affiliate, and/or referral links. Read my full disclosure statement

~

**

Pages

Thursday, February 19, 2015

How many of you suffer from depression, sadness ,dysthymia, constant feelings of worthlessness or guilt over something out of your control? Well join the club sista, we are all in this together! Depression is a life sucking debilitating problem that has followed me for many years now, beginning when I was a teenager. I have learned to hide my sadness fairly well until the last few years, I am usually a smiling happy go lucky appearing person on the outside, in public mostly. My family can attest that at home it is a totally different story. Home is where you find me in bed on bad days, no energy to do anything, up all night due to insomnia. On medication I am better some days, but it is a constant struggle to get anything done. Slowly and day by day, I am learning how to sail my ship myself with prayerful guidance from above.Without prayer and turning my struggles over to God, I would be nothing, He is my Rock and my salvation.

Lets focus on just what is depression, you need to recognize and then accept that you have an actual problem. It is really easy to blame your problems on other people, but take a good hard look at yourself first. It's ok, we all make mistakes and take the wrong paths in life. I have taken many paths of resistance and learned how to get back on the right path again.

Symptoms of depression can vary. They may manifest themselves differently from person to person. People who suffer from the condition often experience several of the following.

Sadness

The most common symptom of depression is a feeling of sadness or emptiness that lasts for more than two weeks. In the case of dysthymia, it can last for longer than two years. Dysthymia is a type of chronic depression in which a person’s moods are consistently low.

Worthlessness

Continual feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or helplessness often accompany the condition. People tend to focus on personal shortcomings or past failures and blame themselves when their life does not go the way they would like.

Irritability

Depression may cause people to get easily frustrated or angered, even over small or insignificant matters.

Fatigue

People with depression often experience lack of energy or feel tired all the time. Small tasks, like showering or getting out of bed, may seem to require more effort than one can manage.

Crying Spells

Sufferers may find themselves crying frequently for no apparent reason.

Apathy

People with depression commonly lose interest or stop finding pleasure in activities that they used to enjoy, including sex.

Restlessness

Agitation and restlessness, including pacing, an inability to sit still, or hand wringing, may occur with depression.

Lack of Concentration

People with depression may have a difficult time remembering, maintaining focus, or making decisions.

Withdrawal

Many people with depression shut themselves off from the world. They may isolate themselves, not answer the phone, or refuse to go out with friends.

Sleep Problems

People’s sleep habits are likely to change as a result of depression. They may not be able to fall asleep or stay asleep, or they may wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to go back to sleep. Other people may find they sleep for long periods and don’t want to get out of bed.

Overeating or Loss of Appetite

Depression can often cause a lack of interest in food and weight loss. In other people, depression leads to overeating and weight gain.

Thoughts of Suicide

Thinking or fantasizing about death is a serious sign that needs to be addressed right away.

Physical Pain

Physical symptoms, such as body pain, headaches, cramps, and digestive problems also can occur. Wow, do you have almost all of those symptoms, me too at one time or another. Taking it day by day for me is the best plan, thinking of what good things you have in your life instead of all the bad.

Getting help immediately for deep feelings of suicide or self harm is imperitive, it is not failure to want to kill yourself, I have had these feelings myself, attempted several times ( yes I am a suicide surviver and thankful for everyday I am alive now!) but there is help for those feelings and people that do care about you and love you, even though you hate yourself right now.

Take overwhelming projects in small sections will help you accomplish them and feel good about yourself. I have this huge mess right now out in my sun-room, it seems to be a catch all for everything that I don't want to deal with. I know that it needs to be cleaned up and I stare at the overwhelming pile of mess everyday. That room has become a source of anxiety, depression and avoidance for me, so I made a choice to take that chore in small sections. I will update you on my progress, if you will share with me some of your overwhelming anxiety producers too, deal?

Let's sail our ships into the sunset each day with faith, hope and love. Praying for you until next time.

Monday, February 16, 2015

As I sit here looking out my window snow and sleet are falling and the news is reporting a night full of more wet, cold nasty stuff. I pray that where ever you are it is warm and safe tonight. Here in NC we get snow and ice only a few times a year and people literally freak out, running to the grocery store to stock up on their bread ,milk...........and toilet paper. Across the country it is bitter cold, but I have a HOT Giveaway to tell you about!!

This giveaway is awesome $6000 worth of natural, eco-friendly, green living love! Starting today 2/16 and running until 2/23 you have the chance to win some sweet prizes!

So enter now!! It will warm your heart for sure! Be sure to tell your friends and family.

Living green, healthy and organic is more than the products you buy or the lingo you use. It's about the day to day choices we make. Buying from a company that has our family's health at the core of their being or choosing to recycle. Simply taking a moment to pick trash off the ground or buying used are small steps that make a huge difference. The #BigGreenGiveaway is one more step. Each of the companies listed here are all living green, healthy and organic and they want to help you as you make those green or greener choices.

Friday, February 6, 2015

WOW!!
Super excited about participating in the Big Green Giveaway. I try my best to eat as much organic type foods and try to promote a healthy lifestyle to my family. I always want to learn more about natural and organic living, it is such a better lifestyle for our families.
I am eager to see what the Natural Organic Network is all about. They are kicking off their site with a crunchtastic giveaway!!

The giveaway begins on February 16th so you gotta join now and get in on all the good stuff that is coming, time is running out. Sign Up HERE

If you are a blogger and want to get in on all the action, you can sign up as a blogging guru and join in the giveaway promoting your blog in the process.

A new group, Natural Organic Network has put together a giveaway of all natural and organic products currently valued at over $5000.00!

I also wanted to let you know about it ahead of time because Natural Organic Network has something special JUST for my readers! They're providing you with the chance to obtain additional entries by subscribing to their email list! Don't worry they won't sell your info and you'll only receive one email a day at the most.
Each day an email with information leading to a free entry will be sent out to you special readers. This is ONLY for those who subscribe between now and the giveaway! You will want to open the emails and follow the directions each day to receive your additional codes for the 16th. So click here to sign up as a subscriber and get those additional entries!
If you're a blogger and would like to join in the giveaway visit their National Organic Network for additional information.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

This is your last chance to take advantage of the Stella & Dot January Stylist signup special. Through 1/31, every stylist who signs up will get $450 in free accessories, plus the chance to earn a $199 starter kit rebate. Don't wait for your opportunity, create it by signing up today! -http://www.stelladot.com/stylist

We are nearing February, the month of #Love, for me it will be the one year anniversary of my mother's death. The last year has been a challenge for me, as I already suffer from chronic depression problems. I am slowly learning to love myself again and have been struggling to accept my life as it is now and move on. Join me for several posts about depression and how I have dealt with the crippling grip it can have on your life.

Finish Every Day and Be Done With ItYou have done what you couldSome blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in;Forget them as soon as you can.Tomorrow is a New Day;You Shall Begin It serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense"Ralph Waldo Emerson"

Sunday, January 25, 2015

As you’re here, you clearly love the feeling of creating something of your own – and you know that the sense of accomplishment and fulfillment is pretty hard to match.
The great thing about crafting and DIY is that there’s so much to get involved in! You may have started with decorating, or creating gifts, or photography, but there’s this huge world of crafting opportunities out there, and you’ve probably only scratched the surface!
The only problem is… how do you decide which project to dive into next? Not to mention, it can get expensive so quickly, buying more resources, more books, more patterns. What if you had a wide variety of inspiring resources right at your fingertips, but for a fraction of what you would usually spend?

That’s why you need to check out The Ultimate DIY Bundle! It’s your instant go-to library for a whole range of carefully curated DIY and crafting eBooks and eCourses. There are projects that the whole family can get involved in – from pet photography and home decor to chalk pastels and sewing.For the crazy low price of just $34.95, you get access to a carefully curated library of over 76 eBooks and eCourses from the world’s leading DIY and crafting bloggers – enabling you to pick a project and jump straight into it with confidence. It’s the perfect tool to skip the information overload and throw yourself straight into a new activity.

Hurry though! The Ultimate DIY Bundle will only be on sale for 6 days – from 8am EST on Wednesday, January 21 until 11.59pm EST on Monday, January 26.
You can buy with complete confidence because you’re covered by the Ultimate Bundles 30-day money-back guarantee. That means you have a full 30 days to enjoy all the eBooks and eCourses in the bundle, and if you don’t think they provided enough value, you’ll get a full refund.
Not only that, but The Ultimate DIY Bundle comes with 5 awesome bonuses, worth over $150. That’s 3x the price of the bundle alone! These include…
A free $15 Store Credit PLUS 8×10 Art Print from Hope Ink ($43 Value), a free online class from Craftsy (up to $60 Value), free $15 store credit to Fawnsberg.com, a free sewing pattern PLUS a Premium Video Class from UpCraft Club ($19.99 Value), and free, full digital copies of Where Women Create Magazine and Greencraft Magazine ($20 value) from Stampington and Co.

So, don’t miss your chance to grab The Ultimate DIY Bundle, and get 76 incredible eBooks and eCourses for just $34.95. All you need to do is take action by midnight on Monday, January 26!
This amazing deal ends in just…

Saturday, January 24, 2015

There aren’t enough hours in the day, right? With work, helping the kids with their school work, preparing meals, cleaning up after everyone and putting yet another load of laundry on, there’s very little time for sleep – let alone DIY and crafting!

But do you look at that bare wall in the den and that tatty tablecloth on the kitchen table, and just wish you had a few hours to do something about them? Or do you browse through those wonderful crafting successes on Pinterest and think to yourself that “one day” you’ll have a few more minutes to yourself so that you too can create something incredible?
You’re not alone – there’s a huge community of people out there who are feeling just as frustrated as you are!

Thankfully though, there’s an exciting new product to help you quickly and easily get into (or back into) the creative projects you’ve been desperate to start. It’s called The Ultimate DIY Bundle, and it’s a collection of carefully curated DIY and crafting eBooks and eCourses from the world’s leading authors and bloggers in the industry.For the crazy low price of just $34.95, you get access to a carefully curated library of over 76 eBooks and eCourses. And let me reassure you that this really is great value: the Ultimate Bundles team (who produced the resource) has spent MONTHS seeking out the most respected experts in the industry and asking them to contribute their premium-quality eBooks and eCourses. These really are the best of the best when it comes to DIY and crafting advice and information.
Topics in the bundle include:

Home decor

Furniture painting

Photography

Chalk pastels

Handmade gifts

Homemade skincare products

Cake decorating

Photography and photo-editing

Paint colors and interior design

…and a whole lot more (76 eBooks and eCourses in total) – to help you be inspired or get started with your next DIY or crafting project!

There’s no need to worry about information overload though: The Ultimate DIY Bundle comes with a complete guide to getting started, so that you can know exactly which resource to use for your specific crafting or DIY project and jump straight into it with confidence!

Hurry though! The Ultimate DIY Bundle will only be on sale for 6 days – from 8am EST on Wednesday, January 21 until 11.59pm EST on Monday, January 26.
You can buy with complete confidence because you’re covered by the Ultimate Bundles 30-day money-back guarantee. That means you have a full 30 days to enjoy all the eBooks and eCourses in the bundle, and if you don’t think they provided enough value, you’ll get a full refund.
Not only that, but The Ultimate DIY Bundle comes with 5 awesome bonuses, worth over $150. That’s 4x the price of the bundle alone! These include…
A free $15 Store Credit PLUS 8×10 Art Print from Hope Ink ($43 Value), a free online class from Craftsy (up to $60 Value), free $15 store credit to Fawnsberg.com, a free sewing pattern PLUS a Premium Video Class from UpCraft Club ($19.99 Value), and free, full digital copies of Where Women Create Magazine and Greencraft Magazine ($20 value) from Stampington and Co.

So, don’t miss your chance to grab The Ultimate DIY Bundle, and get 76 incredible eBooks and eCourses for just $34.95. All you need to do is take action by midnight on Monday, January 26!
This amazing deal ends in just…

Do you ever look at the bare wall in the den, that tired and sagging couch, or those tatty tablecloths, and feel absolutely overwhelmed by the thought of tackling any of them?

Which one do you start with? And then once you’ve decided, how do you know which steps, instructions or advice to follow? Just getting to the point where you’re ready to start can often take so much time and effort!
It’s frustrating, because you know just how satisfying it can be to create something of your own – that sense of accomplishment and fulfillment can’t be beaten. What you need is for someone to pull together everything that you need to get started, to make it as easy and painless as possible.

Good news – when the Ultimate Bundles team created The Ultimate DIY Bundle, they had you in mind! The Ultimate DIY Bundle is your instant go-to library for a whole range of carefully curated DIY and crafting eBooks and eCourses.
No more trawling through the internet looking for good-quality, easy-to-follow information and advice: it’s all right here! For the crazy low price of just $34.95, you get access to a carefully curated library of over 76 eBooks and eCourses from the world’s leading DIY and crafting bloggers – enabling you to pick a project and jump straight into it with confidence. It’s the perfect tool to skip the information overload and throw yourself straight into a new activity.

Hurry though! The Ultimate DIY Bundle will only be on sale for 6 days – from 8am EST on Wednesday, January 21 until 11.59pm EST on Monday, January 26.
You can buy with complete confidence because you’re covered by the Ultimate Bundles 30-day money-back guarantee. That means you have a full 30 days to enjoy all the eBooks and eCourses in the bundle, and if you don’t think they provided enough value, you’ll get a full refund.
Not only that, but The Ultimate DIY Bundle comes with 5 awesome bonuses, worth over $150. That’s 4x the price of the bundle alone! These include…
A free $15 Store Credit PLUS 8×10 Art Print from Hope Ink ($43 Value), a free online class from Craftsy (up to $60 Value), free $15 store credit to Fawnsberg.com, a free sewing pattern PLUS a Premium Video Class from UpCraft Club ($19.99 Value), and free, full digital copies of Where Women Create Magazine and Greencraft Magazine ($20 value) from Stampington and Co.

So, don’t miss your chance to grab The Ultimate DIY Bundle, and get 76 incredible eBooks and eCourses for just $34.95. All you need to do is take action by midnight on Monday, January 26!
This amazing deal ends in just…

Disclosure: I have included affiliate links in this post. Please see my disclosure policy page.
Read the fine print about this bundle and read the answers to frequently asked questions about the bundle.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Hand-washing is a very simple thing to teach your kids, simply sing the "Happy Birthday" song or the "ABC's" while you wash your hands encourages kids to wash their hands for the correct amount of time to wash away those germy germs. Encourage them to use hand sanitizer (of your choice) while you are out an about. The rule we have is if you touch something, you need to clean your hands, especially at the grocery store, big box stores, restaurants or anywhere large numbers of other people might gather and spread their germs.
The infographic below shows the importance of hand-washing and how it can save lives actually.

Please wash those hands and keep your family well this flu and cold season! Daisy and Buttons our furry puggy friends want you to be healthy and well!

Daisy~

Buttons~

Check out these books about the Human Body this week: Just click on the book

Monday, January 5, 2015

They all share a National Day of January 5th together. Bet you didn't know that, ask your homeschoolers if they knew that one too. National days can provide an opportunity to learn , educate and discuss all while having lots of fun.
My favorite site for information related to "national day lists" is www.NationaldayCalendar.com , subscribe to the newsletter and get their daily listing for each day in your inbox.

NATIONAL THANK GOD IT’S MONDAY DAY

National Thank God It’s Monday Day is celebrated each year on the first Monday in January. This day was created to celebrate all things that start/happen on a Monday in the the upcoming year, such as; a new job, a promotion, birthdays, holidays, vacations and etc. This is also a day, which starts out the first full week of the new year, to look ahead with positive hope, energy, enthusiasm and excitement for all things to come in the next 12 months.

National Bird Day

Born Free USA emphasizes the importance of National Bird Day and lists it as a day to shine a spotlight on issues critical to the protection and survival of birds, both captive and wild.

National Bird Day, an “unofficial” national holiday, was created to promote avian awareness.

According to Born Free USA, nearly 12 percent of the world’s almost 10,000 bird species are in danger of extinction.

Celebrated annually by half a million adherents through:

bird-watching

studying birds

educating others

other bird-related activities

A particularly important National Bird Day activity is bird adoption. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper article, many bird enthusiast celebrate by adopting birds on this day and educating future bird owners about the special issues involved with taking care of birds, including the “proper care, cleanup, noise and biting, feeding, diet and their need for daily interaction”.

Watch for another full post related to studying birds soon.

NATIONAL WHIPPED CREAM DAY

There is that little something that adds a final touch to ice cream sundaes, cake, milk shakes, hot cocoa, pie, pudding and many other desserts and it is annually celebrated on January 5. This is National Whipped Cream Day.

This holiday falls on the birthday of Reddi-wip founder Aaron “Bunny” Lapin. Aaron who invented Reddi-wip in 1948, was born on January 5, 1914 and died on July 10, 1999.

National Whipped Cream Day celebrates whipped cream’s contribution to the dessert world.

Often sweetened and sometimes flavored with vanilla, coffee, chocolate, orange and other flavors, whipped cream is also sometimes called Chantilly cream orcreme Chantilly.

Recipes from the 16th century included whipped cream that was sweetened and aromatised. The names “milk snow” and “snow cream” were used. In these recipes, naturally separated cream is whipped, typically with willow or rush branches, then the resulting foam on the surface would from time to time be skimmed off and drained, which was a process taking an hour or more.

The English name “whipped cream” found it’s beginning in 1673. The name “snow cream” continued to be used throughout the 17th century.

To celebrate National Whipped Cream Day, try one of the following “tried and true” recipes:

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Recognized by the National Confectioners Association and celebrated by millions of people across the country, January 3rd is National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day.

It is almost impossible to eat just one of these chocolate covered cherry candies that have combined two favorite flavors into one delicious treat. The candy often times is made with a sweet liquid center and in some cases has a liquor filling center.

Known to many as a “mid winter pick-me-up” chocolate covered cherries, also called chocolate cordials, can be either store-bought or homemade. There are also many recipes that mimic the flavor of the long known and well loved candy.

In the 1700′s in England, cherries were enclosed in chocolate with a little kirsch (cordial) liqueur. After finding their way to America, they were well accepted with the little bit of alcoholic cordial surrounding the fruit that had been dipped in chocolate. Although originally made with the liqueur, cordials/chocolate covered cherries are more commonly made with a sugar syrup flavored with cherries. The pitted cherries that are used have been cooked in sugar syrup and jarred.

Enjoy your day sharing some chocolate covered cherries with your friends and try one of the following “tried and true” recipes:

I can recall eating these yummy treats at Christmas when I was a child, can't wait to make them myself. I really never thought about making them at home, just bought them at the store. The cookie recipe looks divine, I might try that first.....mmmmmm.

Going to order many of my baking supplies from Soap.com, have you ever tried them?
Here is a coupon for you.Save 15% Off Your First Order at Soap.com. Enter Code: SOAPAFF15 (Max Discount $15)

If you haven't ordered your Christmas cards or gifts yet, it's not too late.Check out the sitewide sale on Tiny Prints going on right now - 30% off everything. It's the best remaining sitewide sale of the season, so don't miss it.When you go to Tiny Prints and place your order, just use the promo code SW30SALE and you'll save 30% on your purchase.

Please share on your favorites social sites

LinkWithin

About Me- the ringmaster of this circus

Grab My Button

<div align="center"><a href="http://chipsofftheoldblock.blogspot.com/" title="Chips Off the Old Block" target="_blank"><img src="http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg121/blockmom/blog%20images/chipsofftheoldblockbutton.jpg" alt="Chips Off the Old Block" style="border:none;" /></a></div>